VIGILANT DEFENDER

[The Hive Mind]

A vigilant defender is at home in the wilds of a metropolitan center. While the wildlander hunts the forests and plains, the vigilant defender hunts the back allies and sewers. The minions of the Shadow in the North frequently harm those who cannot defend themselves in the decaying ghettos of the Sarcosan cities. This senseless violence against the weak leads many to consider the lonely path of a vigilant defender. Lone orcs frequently go missing in those neighborhoods guarded by a vigilant defender, and the Shadow’s minions fear to return except in much larger numbers.

Hit Die: d8.


Requirements

Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Spot 5 ranks
Feats: Alertness, Dodge.
Special: Sneak attack +1d6 or Tier 1 defender ability.

Class Level / Base Attack Bonus / Fort Save / Ref Save / Will Save / Special
1st ---------------+1 ---------------+0 ------+2 --------+0 ------Blade or fist, city speak
2nd --------------+2 ----------------+0 ------+3 --------+0 ------Survival of the skilled, uncanny dodge
3rd ---------------+3 ---------------+1 ------+3 --------+1 ------Urban mobility
4th --------------+4 ----------------+1 ------+4 --------+1 -----Blade or fist, cloaked in city shadows
5th --------------+5 ----------------+1 ------+4 --------+1 -----City sight, survival of the skilled
6th --------------+6 ----------------+2 ------+5 --------+2 -----Improved uncanny dodge, urban mobility
7th --------------+7 ----------------+2 ------+5 --------+2 -----Blade or fist
8th --------------+8 ----------------+2 ------+6 --------+2 -----City is my shield, survival of the skilled
9th --------------+9 ----------------+3 ------+6 --------+3 -----Urban mobility
10th ------------+10 ---------------+3 -------+7 --------+3 -----Blade or fist, city stance

Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Locks (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Vigilant defenders gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons. Vigilant defenders are proficient with light and medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

City Speak (Ex): At 1st level the vigilant defender has embraced the cosmopolitan nature of large cities and the people that live there. The vigilant defender can understand and speak with any urban dweller with a pidgin level of competence, regardless of what languages the vigilant defender or the dweller speak. Communicating in this way takes twice as long as normal, and requires that the two individuals be able to see each other.

Blade or Fist: At 1st level, the vigilant defender may choose to further either his defender training or his sneak attack ability. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed.

If he chooses to further his defender training, the vigilant defender gains a defender ability at 1st level and every three levels thereafter (at 4th, 7th, and 10th level). If he chooses to further his sneak attack ability, he gains +1d6 sneak attack at 1st level and every three levels thereafter (at 4th, 7th, and 10th level).

Survival of the Skilled (Ex): At 2nd level, the vigilant defender may choose any vigilant defender class skill. Whenever making that skill check in an urban environment, he may add one-half his character level (round down) as a bonus on the skill check.

At 5th level and again at 8th level, the vigilant defender may choose an additional skill from the vigilant defender skill list to which this bonus applies.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a vigilant defender retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. He still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Urban Mobility (Ex): At 3rd level, the vigilant defender learns to navigate urban environments as if he were born for them. The vigilant defender may choose either the narrowswending, roofjumping, or wallcrawling abilities. At 6th level and again at 9th level he may choose an additional ability from the three listed above.

Narrowswending: The vigilant defender masters movement through the rough and narrow back allies of the urban environment. When in an urban environment, he may ignore difficult terrain and obstacles that countas 2 squares of movement. Additionally, the vigilant defender may move at normal speed when squeezing.

Roofjumping: The vigilant defender may leap from rooftop to rooftop without fear of falling or faltering. When in an urban setting, he gains a +10 circumstance bonus to Jump checks and only needs 10 ft. of movement to count as a running start.

Wallcrawling: The vigilant defender may scale building walls by finding handholds that others cannot find. When in an urban setting, he gains a climb speed equal to one-half his base land speed. He also gains a +8 circumstance bonus on all Climb checks in urban environments, and may take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing.

Cloaked in City Shadows (Su): So tied to the urban environment is a vigilant defender of 4th level or higher, he can use the Hide skill in any sort of urban terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment. This means, for instance, that the vigilant defender can Hide merely by standing against a wall or blending in with a courtyard. The vigilant defender may not attempt to hide if he is being observed when the attempt is made. The vigilant defender ceases to gain the benefits of the cloaked in city shadows ability immediately after his first attack from hiding.

City Sight (Ex): At 5th level, the vigilant defender gains low-light vision.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 6th level, the vigilant defender can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the vigilant defender. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the vigilant defender can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

If a character gains uncanny dodge (as above) from a second class (such as rogue), the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

City is My Shield (Ex): At 8th level, the vigilant defender knows how to find cover in urban environments, such as carts, boxes, lantern poles, or other pedestrians. When in an urban environment and benefitting from a cover bonus, the vigilant defender receives twice the normal cover bonus. When in an urban environment and in a situation in which he would gain no cover bonus, the vigilant defender still receives a minimum +2 conver bonus to AC from the various items and people around him.

The DM may rule that in some situations (such as a completely empty large room), there is no cover to be had, in which case the vigilant defender loses this bonus.

City Stance (Ex): At 10th level, whenever the vigilant defender rolls for initiative in an urban environment, he may always roll twice and takes the better of the two rolls.